Hearing that Tsunade had agreed to his proposal, Byakuya gave a satisfied smile before kneeling beside her injured leg.
"Ah—what are you doing, you damn Uchiha!?" Tsunade snapped, startled as he touched her leg.
"You said you'd help the Uchiha clan train medical-nin. That starts now. Stay still—I'm treating your wound," Byakuya replied calmly, channeling chakra into his palm.
Tsunade froze, her expression shifting from irritation to disbelief as she recognized the familiar green glow of the Mystical Palm Technique (Shōsen Jutsu). It wasn't just that he could use medical ninjutsu—his chakra control, precision, and technique were nearly identical to her own.
"You… How do you know the medical ninjutsu of the Senju clan?" Tsunade asked in shock.
While medical ninjutsu was taught in Konoha, few could perform it with this level of mastery—and this was the exact technique she had developed and refined herself.
"Who knows? Maybe the Uchiha and Senju were once family," Byakuya replied casually.
Of course, as a transmigrator, Byakuya knew the truth: both clans descended from the sons of the Sage of Six Paths—Indra and Asura. What was once a single lineage had split and become two rival powers over generations, their feud rooted in centuries of manipulation and mistrust.
"That's absurd," Tsunade scoffed, though the seed of doubt had been planted. "The Uchiha and Senju… one family?"
"Believe it or not, your leg is healed," Byakuya said, standing up.
Tsunade slowly tested her thigh—previously torn muscle now restored with surgical precision.
"It's really better…" she murmured. "But that technique… it's exactly mine. No way an Uchiha should know that…"
Even as her mind refused to accept the possibility, the facts left her unsettled. Silently, she resolved to investigate further.
With the agreement sealed, Tsunade officially began overseeing the Uchiha's newly formed medical corps. At her insistence, they established a dedicated medical unit within the Uchiha compound, complete with a hospital wing and intensive training protocols.
Tsunade's expertise drastically raised the standard of care and tactical support available to Uchiha shinobi. Within weeks, the clan's combat sustainability and survival rates had visibly improved. The changes didn't go unnoticed.
The village buzzed with rumors—and none louder than those in the Senju compound.
"Release our clan head!"
"Why are the Uchiha detaining Lady Tsunade?"
"You've gone too far!"
A crowd of Senju loyalists gathered outside the Uchiha district gates, shouting furiously. Their assumption: the Uchiha had taken Tsunade by force.
At the gates stood Uchiha En, flanked by members of the Uchiha Police Force.
"We've told you repeatedly: Lady Tsunade is not a prisoner," Uchiha En said firmly. "She voluntarily accepted a post as the chief medical advisor to our clan."
"Lies!" a younger Senju shouted. "She would never betray the Senju like this!"
The standoff grew tense—until a commanding voice cut through the noise.
"What's going on here?"
Byakuya arrived, his expression stern as he surveyed the confrontation.
"Lord Byakuya," En reported, "the Senju demand Lady Tsunade's release."
"Release her?" Byakuya scoffed. "Tsunade's not a hostage—she's our ally. The Uchiha don't force people into service. Ask her yourself."
"She's no ally of yours!" came a brittle voice from the Senju side.
An old man stepped forward—stooped with age, but his presence still carried weight. Wrinkles lined his face, and one arm hung useless at his side.
"And you are?" Byakuya asked.
"I am Senju Kohaku, cousin to Hashirama," the old man said, chest puffed with pride.
Byakuya raised a brow. Hashirama Senju's surviving relatives were few—and scattered. It was rare to encounter a direct family member from that era.
"So, a relic of the Warring States period still lives," Byakuya said coolly. "Then you of all people should understand that this isn't the era of clan wars anymore."
"Then act like it, Uchiha. Return Tsunade," Kohaku growled. "If she came willingly, she'll say so, or else we won't let you go."
Hearing what Senju Kohaku said, Uchiha Byakuya couldn't help but laugh disdainfully.
"Hah… 'Don't let us go'? You think the Senju clan still has the strength to fight?" he scoffed, his voice laced with contempt.
"You dare look down on the Senju clan!?" Senju Kohaku's eyes narrowed, his chakra flaring slightly with restrained fury.
"Did I say anything false?" Byakuya continued mockingly. "Your clan is a shadow of what it once was. A few aging veterans and inexperienced brats—what can you do against the Uchiha?"
He swept his gaze across the Senju group standing before him. Most of them were either elders past their prime or young shinobi barely out of the Academy. In Byakuya's eyes, even the Uchiha Police Force could overwhelm them without needing his intervention.
"Arrogant fool… Don't underestimate the will of the Senju!" snapped a middle-aged clan member, stepping forward with clenched fists.
"We will never bow to the Uchiha," another growled.
Byakuya clicked his tongue. "I don't underestimate the name. But the Senju clan now? You should thank your own history for this decay. The Will of Fire that Tobirama Senju so fervently preached—he passed it to Hiruzen and Danzo, and look where that got you."
His words struck a chord. Murmurs of anger spread among the Senju.
[System Alert: Emotional fluctuations detected. Chakra resonance intensifying… Ninjutsu proficiency increasing.]
Despite the growing hostility, Byakuya felt oddly satisfied—feeding off their rage. However, to his confusion, Kohaku himself remained oddly calm. No signs of emotion. No sharp retort.
Strange… This old man should be furious. Yet nothing? Byakuya mused.
Kohaku, a veteran of the Warring States Era, had likely seen far worse. His stoic silence was unnerving.
Then, at last, he spoke—his tone cold and commanding.
"Uchiha Byakuya… You speak boldly, but you know nothing."
"Oh? Try me," Byakuya smirked.
"You think you understand the decline of the Senju? The wars, the blood we shed for Konoha, the sacrifice after sacrifice… You only see the ashes, not the fire we carried. That ignorance will be your undoing."
Kohaku turned to the others.
"We're leaving."
"But Elder—!"
"No. If he dares harm Tsunade, I will deal with him myself," Kohaku said, his voice like steel.
Byakuya sneered. "Oh? The more you say 'don't touch her,' the more I want to see what happens when I do..."
Just as he turned away, he noticed Kohaku pause for a split second—but the elder continued on without a word.
Yet, a moment later, a faint whisper brushed Byakuya's ear—spoken through a subtle Genjutsu, undetectable to all but the most perceptive:
"Midnight. The old Senju training grounds."
Byakuya raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
So, the 'toughest leek' wants a private meeting. What's your game, old man?
He watched them disappear into the treeline, his smirk widening as he felt a pulse of reactive chakra.
[System Alert: Emotional spike detected. Source: Senju Tsunade. Acquired: Water Release – Water Dragon Bullet Technique]
Byakuya chuckled softly.
Even hard leeks bleed if you cut deep enough. Midnight it is.